Geranium plant named ‘Swevio’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Zonal Geranium  plant named ‘Pacry’, characterized by its upright, rounded and compact plant habit; freely basal branching and flowering habit; leaves without a zonation pattern; red purple-colored flowers with red-colored blotches; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium×hortorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Swevio’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of ZonalGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Swevio’.

The new Zonal Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new Zonal Geraniums with attractiveflower coloration.

The new Zonal Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor during the summer of 2000 of two unnamed proprietary selectionsof Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented. The cultivar Swevio wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within theprogeny from the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment inDresden, Germany in June, 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Dresden, Germany since January, 2002 has shownthat the unique features of this new Zonal Geranium are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Swevio’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Swevio’ as a new cultivar and distinguish itfrom other known Zonal Geranium cultivars:

-   -   1. Upright, rounded and compact plant habit.    -   2. Freely basal branching and flowering habit.    -   3. Leaves without a zonation pattern.    -   4. Red puple-colored flowers with red-colored blotches.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium differ primarily from plants of theparent selections in flower coloration and flower form.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of thecultivar Swero, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,752. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of thenew Zonal Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar Swero in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had larger flowers than        plants of the cultivar Swero.    -   2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium and the cultivar Swero        differed in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower andfoliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Zonal Geranium. The photograph comprisesa side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Swevio’ grownin a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Swevio have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and averagedmeasurements describe plants grown during the summer in containers inDresden, Germany, and under commercial practice in a glass-coveredgreenhouse with day temperatures about 18° C., night temperatures about16° C. and light levels ranging from 15 to 100 kilolux. Plants used forthe photograph and the description were about nine months old. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Swevio.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 18 days at 22° C.            Winter: About 22 days at 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 25 days            at 22° C. Winter: About 30 days at 22° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Upright, rounded and compact plant            habit; uniform; densely foliated.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous growth            habit. Freely basal branching habit with about 20 lateral            branches per plant; pinching is not required.        -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 35 cm.        -   Plant height, to top of foliar plane.—About 25 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 45 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 10 to 15 cm. Diameter: About            5 mm. Internode length: About 1 to 2 cm. Texture: Pubescent.            Color: 146B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate or opposite;            simple. Length: About 4 to 6 cm. Width: About 7 to 8 cm.            Shape: Rounded. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cordate; open. Margin:            Bicrenate. Venation pattern: Palmate. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent; rough. Color: Developing            foliage, upper surface: 144A. Developing foliage, lower            surface: 146B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A;            venation, 138B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137D;            venation, 146D. Zonation pattern: Absent. Petiole: Length:            About 5 to 8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Pubescent; rough. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: 146B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement.—Red purple-colored flowers with            red-colored splotches; semi-double rotate flowers arranged            in rounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf            axils. Umbels displayed upright abouve the foliage on strong            peduncles. Flowers face upright to outwardly; flowers flat            to slightly cupped and uniform. Flowers persistent. Flowers            not fragrant.        -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about 25 umbels            per plant, about 8 to 14 flower buds and open flowers per            umbel.        -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In            the garden in Dresden, Germany, flowering is continuous from            April until frost in the fall.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about six to ten            days and umbels last about three to four weeks on the plant.        -   Umbel height.—About 5 cm.        -   Umbel diameter.—About 10 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm.            Shape: Elliptic to rounded. Color: 144C.        -   Petals/petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About six to ten.            Length: About 1 to 2.8 cm. Width: About 0.5 to 3 cm. Shape:            Roughly spatulate; petaloids, irregular. Apex: Rounded.            Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening and            fully opened, upper surface: 74A; blotches, 45A; towards the            base, 56D; venation, similar to lamina. When opening and            fully opened, lower surface: 74C to 75D; towards the base,            56D; venation, similar to lamina.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five, arranged in a            single whorl. Length: About 1 to 1.2 cm. Width: About 3 to            4 mm. Shape:. Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.        -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 11 to 15 cm. Diameter:            About 3 to 4 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: 146B.        -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2 to 2.5 cm.            Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong; flexible.            Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:            About four to eight. Anther length: About 1 to 2 mm. Anther            shape: Oblong. Anther color: Brown. Pollen amount: Sparse.            Pollen color: Golden brown. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per            flower: One. Pistil length: About 8 to 10 mm. Stigma shape:            Five to six-parted. Stigma color: Red purple. Style length:            About 3 to 4 mm. Style color: Red purple. Ovary color: Pale            green.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Zonal    Geraniums.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have been    observed to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures ranging from −0.5    to 40° C. and have demonstrated good garden performance.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Pacry’, asherein illustrated and described.